Implantable sheet materials for tissue repair are well known. Tissue defects commonly repaired with these materials include wounds of the abdominal wall and in particular hernia repairs. Wounds of the chest wall, diaphragm and other weaknesses of the musculoaponeurotic tissues are also repaired with these materials.
There are two fundamental types of sheet materials that are most predominantly used. The first type is a mesh material having a multiplicity of openings through the material, such as Marlex.RTM. Mesh available from C. R. Bard, Inc., Billerica, Mass. This is an open mesh knitted from polypropylene monofilament of about 0.17 mm diameter and having openings of about 0.54 mm diameter. These mesh materials offer good suture retention, good mechanical strength, and allow tissue to grow through the mesh openings.
An alternative type of implantable sheet material for tissue repair is GORE-TEX.RTM. Soft Tissue Patch made from porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, available from W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz. in 1.0 and 2.0 mm thicknesses. This is a porous sheet material that does not contain large, macroporous holes in the fashion of a mesh. Because there are no large holes for tissue to grow through and around, this material is useful when it is desirable to minimize the risk of tissue adhesion.